Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk and U.S. tech firm Valo Health said on Wednesday they were expanding their 2023 agreement to develop new treatments for cardiometabolic diseases using human data and artificial intelligence (AI).

Novo Nordisk's U.S.-listed shares are surging 9% Friday morning after the Danish drugmaker reported early stage results for its amycretin weight-loss drug.

The new treatment targets gut hormone GLP-1 but also mimics amylin, a hormone released by the pancreas that suppresses hunger.

One of Novo Nordisk's next-generation obesity shots to follow up on the success of Wegovy helped patients lose 22% of their weight in 36 weeks, according to early-stage trial results on Friday, boosting the drugmaker's shares.

Novo Nordisk shares rose sharply after the Danish pharmaceutical giant said an experimental weight-loss shot helped patients lose 22% of their bodyweight in a clinical trial.

Novo Nordisk announced phase 1b/2a clinical trial results for amycretin this morning. Patients taking the GLP-1 drug lost an average of 9.7% of their weight in 36 weeks. This is the best news Novo Nordisk has been able to report in more than a month.

Novo Nordisk on Friday announced early-stage trial results for its amycretin obesity drug for subcutaneous injection, saying people with obesity or overweight treated with the drug achieved a 22% weight loss after 36 weeks.